Marriages Matter: Yours and Mine

I’m making it a goal to make marriages a priority this year: yours AND mine. When we invest time and energy into growing together as couples, we’re better prepared to parent our children and do life together as a family.

2014 was a difficult year for my marriage. Not so much because of a strained relationship or issues between my husband and I, but mostly because we weren’t able to spend much “alone” time together during the year. And a lack of quality time together leads to “distance” in our relationship.

As we spent the last year in transition, we spent a LOT of time living in two separate states and/or towns. While I stayed with the kids, my husband lived with my parents (for six months), with us (for three months), with his parents (for three months), and then back with us (for the last three months). And even when we were both living under the same roof, he was working crazy hours and we rarely saw each other.

Let’s just say that living “separate lives” isn’t the way to grow together as a married couple, and now that we’re under one roof and he’s working normal hours again, we are excited to make our marriage relationship a priority this year.

5 Ways to Make Your Marriage a Priority

1. Schedule a Regular “Just the Two of Us” Date

Get out your calendar right now and circle at least two days each month when you will schedule a “just the two of us” date time. By identifying the dates at the beginning of the year, you can block out the time and schedule the rest of your busy lives around them, keeping them a priority.

We keep a family calendar on the refrigerator, and I’m planning to add our regular date nights to it as soon as our 2015 Wall Calendar arrives!

2. Plan a “Just the Two of Us” Get Away

Nothing rejuvenates our relationship more than being able to get away for a night or two without the kids. Even if we just leave the kids with the grandparents and get a hotel room in the next town over, we enjoy being able to reconnect outside of our “normal” environment. We aim to schedule at least one “getaway” each year.

3. Read a Book Together

My husband and I enjoy reading book series together.

We each read at our own pace and then discuss the books as we have each finished them, and when the books become movies, it’s a perfect date night for us!

4. Study the Scriptures and Pray Together

This is one area we’ve failed to make a priority in our marriage – growing spiritually together. But it’s probably THE most important area of our marriage. So it’s one area I definitely want to prioritize this year.

We’re still discussing it, but I think we’ll be doing an inductive Bible study together this coming year.

Praying together and praying for one another are key for helping us keep our perspective on life and one another in proper alignment.

5. Be Ready When the Moment Strikes

As parents of small children, the interruptions are numerous and unscheduled. Being ready to enjoy intimacy together when you are able to find those moments of quiet together is key for making the most of the time. We keep some K-Y® YOURS+MINE in a bedside table for an extra measure of comfort and enjoyment when we can steal away for a few minutes together.

I found K-Y® YOURS+MINE in the family planning aisle at our local Walmart.

For a more discreet purchasing option, check out the K-Y® DATE NIGHT kit available on Walmart.com. The K-Y® DATE NIGHT kit features everything you need for a special night at home, including the YOURS+MINE® lubricant and a gift card for 2 dinners (PeachDish.com) and a movie in (from Vudu.com) worth $50. Perfect for a date night in!

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Is making your marriage a priority a goal for the new year?

Share your ideas for making your marriage a priority in the comments below… and be sure to subscribe for free “making marriages matter” resources delivered to your inbox!

Check out K-Y.com for more great ideas for improving your relationship this year!

This sponsored post is part of the #YoursandMine sponsored #shop with #CollectiveBias.

Reader Interactions

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Being aware of the other person in a relationship is key to making the relationship grow. I think too often we tend to go through life assuming we’re on the same page (I know I do), only to find out “too late” that we’re not. I definitely don’t want to take my husband for granted, and I’m looking forward to making “connecting” a priority this year!

Yes! I love other couples who are prioritizing their marriage. We’ve been trying hard to prioritize date night this year and it’s made a world of difference! Newest follower by the way, thank you to Pinterest for helping me find you :)

My husband works away and its so hard on us to be separated so I try to go stay with him when I can and try to plan things to reconnect when he’s off. Love this post. We have 2 kids and I homeschool so that its easier to travel with him when we can.

Yes! Yes! Yes! and Yes!
Brian and I do date night every week. We’re finally at a place that we regularly double date nearly every week…..but I told him a few days ago that we’re going to need to find an ADDITIONAL day of the week to just be the two of us.
Sure, we go to Target and Lowe’s alone for a spontaneous purchase, but that doesn’t leave much time to really talk and just “be”.
We LOVE reading books to each other and sharing God’s Word together. Our richest conversations are about the Word; and you know, it truly enriches our intimacy!
Speaking of….we’ve tried the KY before, but weren’t fans. But we’ll be trying other things! ;)
Great compilation of tips!!

Six months in to the year, and although we’re not dating EVERY week, I’m fairly certain we’ve dated more THIS year than many of the past several combined. And yes, reading together is such a great way to gain intimacy… we’re currently reading The Doctrines of Grace [aff] together, and it’s been a great conversation starter!

I love this post!!! :) Prioritizing marriage is something that I am extremely passionate about. I love that you realized that your marriage was facing some potential roadblocks and did everything you could to keep it strong despite those roadblocks!http://www.apriorizedmarriage.com

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